It looks like Lucky and Robin will be hitching a ride out of town, in first-class seats, aboard the It's-all-about-me train. Robin wants to disappear so that she can die alone, while Lucky is stomping his foot in frustration, because Liz delayed his travel plans by heading to Shadybrook for some much-needed therapy.
It was absolutely wrong of Liz to scribble that note on her pillowcase in lipstick and then take off without telling anyone, but who the heck is Lucky to question her decision to seek treatment?
It's not as if Liz took off for a few days of fun and sun in a tropical paradise with umbrella drinks and cabana boys...or, say visited a picturesque countryside, rich with traditions and magical church courtyards that are haunted by the wee folk. Nope, Liz decided to go to a mental institution. Shame on her, how selfish!
As I watched Lucky question Liz's reasons for going to Shadybrook, I kept wondering if he realized how ridiculous he sounded. Evidently not, because he accused her of pulling the stunt to manipulate him into staying in town. Well, Lucky, if that's true, then there's even more reason why she should be at Shadybrook, rather than at home dealing with the stress of raising two little boys. Lucky's little rant was like watching someone chastise a drug addict for checking into a treatment facility stoned out of their mind.
Was the timing of Liz's decision to get help questionable? Yes, but that's the way it usually works with these things. Most trips to rehab and sanitariums are preceded by tragic events or an intervention, which acts as a catalyst for the person in crisis to get help. It's always messy and inconvenient, which Lucky should know from first-hand experience.
It seems that Liz's catalyst was being thrown into the harbor by a homicidal maniac, and left to drown, Aiden getting sick, and Lucky treating her to extra-heaping doses of rejection, while she was recovering from a near-fatal case of pneumonia. Oh, and let's not forget, she's also grieving the loss of a son. Would it have been better if she'd gone home in her fragile mental state to take care of the boys? I don't think so. Better she head straight to the sanitarium for intensive therapy.
Now, this being a soap, no one checks into Club Crazy unless it's plot-related. The story here is Liz meeting Ewen, who, I'm certain, is painting a sexy portrait of him carrying an unconscious Liz out of the icy waters of Spoon Island. I suspect that's the real reason he panicked when Liz asked to see his canvas.
I'm not sure how I feel about Ewen, but I do like that Matt is jealous. I stopped rooting for Matt and Maxie when Maxie decided that she needed to get to Matt's party to keep Liz from seducing him, rather than to celebrate his achievement. Maxie's priorities were whacked, which told me that she didn't really love Matt. I saw sparks when Matt and Liz kissed, so I'd like to see them have a nice little rebound fling. It would do them both some good.
I wanted to slap Lucky when he "warned" Matt that saving Liz was a full-time job. It was petty, and somewhat laughable given Lucky's very long run of bad luck, earning him the apt nickname of "UnLucky" among message board posters everywhere.
I suspect that Lucky's jerk-of-the-year attitude is part of what paves the way for Jonathan Jackson to exit the show, so I understand that they need to put some emotional distance between Lucky and Liz. However, I'm not a fan of making Lucky look callous and selfish to achieve that goal. Legacy characters should be given a bit more respect than that, as should their fans.
It pained me this week to listen to Robin implore Jason to help her disappear, and then justify that ridiculous decision.
It feels like the story is being slapped together at the last moment, so it's rushed and filled with implausible holes. Robin's viral loads are bad, indicating that her meds stopped working, which Robin learned about the day after Lisa died. Huh? Robin was fanatical about checking her viral loads, so why didn't she discover the problem sooner? Then there's Robin suspicion that Lisa, who had been in a coma for months, replaced her drug cocktail with placebos. What? Who cares if Lisa seemed certain that injecting Patrick with Robin's blood would be a death sentence? That only proved that Lisa was a lunatic, not that she had knowledge about Robin's deteriorating condition.
Robin, ever the control freak, has decided that it's best for her family if she simply disappeara right after Christmas, so that they are spared the pain of having to watch her succumb to a slow and lingering death, like the one that Stone had endured. She feels that a sudden and unexpected loss is a lot easier to handle. Jason scored huge points with me by flatly refusing to go along with her cockamamie plan.
It seemed a bit surreal though that the person suffering from side effects of brain surgery, in which he experiences uncontrollable bouts of rage and irrational thinking, was the voice of reason.
I love Robin, but that is the most asinine excuse I've ever heard, especially since it's based on a pessimistic assumption -- the new meds haven't kicked in yet, after only a few weeks taking them, ergo she is dying. I hate that the writers are going there with Robin, just so that they can leave the door open for her to return, if Kimberly has a change of heart. Couldn't they have found a more creative way without assassinating the character? Robin was never one to give up without a fight, so it doesn't make sense that she would do so now when she has more to lose than ever.
I lost a beloved family member to cancer in January, and then, on Halloween, one of my best friends was found dead in bed by her seven-year-old daughter. I've had an up-close-and-personal view of both situations that Robin outlined in her argument to Jason. I can assure you that a sudden loss is no less painful than a slow one. As a doctor, I would think that Robin would know that.
There will be no closure for Patrick and Emma if Robin is ripped out of their lives without explanation. There will be hurt, anger, regret, and deep scars that will never go away. I'm furious with the writers, because it's not at all respectful to the character or her fans. We deserve better than this.
Viewers should be able to enjoy these last days with Jonathan and Kimberly, not want to throttle them. The only bright spot in this mess is the return of one of my favorite characters, Anna Devane. Although, it's somewhat bittersweet, because Finola will be sticking around after Kimberly is gone, which will be a constant reminder to me of all the missed opportunities.
Moving on, I'm relieved that we were shown what was on the DVD that Sam and Michael had found in the dumpster. It wasn't the smoking gun that I had expected -- video of the rape -- but it was a confession of sorts. I think it's pretty clear that Franco did have sex with Sam when she was drugged. Sure, Franco could have been messing with Jason's head by implying that he raped Sam, but I doubt it. Franco wants to ensure Jason's rage -- clearly he has a death wish -- so half measures won't do.
Will Sam be pregnant? Without a doubt. Will the baby be Jason's? A couple of weeks ago, I would have readily answered yes, but now I'm not so sure. With a new head writer and executive producer on the horizon, nothing is certain. No couple or character is safe from a complete overhaul. I imagine that's exciting for the actors, who get to dust off the cobwebs, and stretch their acting chops by trying something new, but for the viewers it's a scary time.
One character who won't be affected by the behind-the-scenes changes is Abby. In a surprising, yet strangely odd, twist, Abby was killed off in a freak construction site accident. I had no idea what to make of that. Initially, it seemed so random, but then Delores had a revealing conversation with her husband.
I was honestly beginning to suspect that Delores was lying about being married, so it was a bit startling to see her at work on the phone, chatting up a storm with her hubby. Even more surprising was the revelation that said hubby was working out of town at, you guessed it, a construction site.
Things are seldom a coincidence on soaps, so I can't help but wonder if Mr. Padilla will be revealed to be responsible for Abby's death, through some form of negligence, prompting Michael to become hell-bent on revenge. If that's the route that the current regime was headed, then they deserve to be replaced. They've had a serial stalker attacking Abby's friends from Vaughn's for weeks, so why is she being killed off by a load breaking free from a crane in Chicago?
That said, the scenes with Michael pulling back the sheet, and then seeing Abby stretched out on the gurney, were powerful. I was touched by how tender and sweet Sam was with Michael afterwards, when he sat there weeping and blaming himself for distracting Abby from the danger around her by keeping her on the phone. I really like the friendship between Michael and Sam, so I hope it continues.
Friday ended with Sam confessing to Michael that Franco had raped her, which left me wanting more. I can't wait for Monday to get here. I think that Michael is going to find that even though he lost Abby, he has someone close to him who fully understands what he went through. I also think that this is going to be good for Sam, because it's clear that Jason is in no condition to help his wife right now. And she is going to need as much help as she can get when she finds out that she's pregnant.
Now, it's time to turn the spotlight over to the readers. Many are very unhappy with how things are going on the show, so it appears that changes will be welcome.
Thank you for taking the time to read my opinion. I enjoy hearing back from readers, so please feel free to drop me a line with your own thoughts about the show.
